YGH-Designed Facility Earns Masonry Award

BEND, Ore. — The Central Oregon Community College (COCC) Health Careers Center, designed by Yost Grube Hall Architecture (YGH) of Portland, recently received a Hammurabi Award from the Masonry and Ceramic Tile Institute of Oregon. The award was first given in 1971, and recognizes architects and contractors for design excellence in the use of masonry.
According to a release issued by YGH, the COCC Health Careers Center marks the first prominent use of masonry on a college campus whose buildings consisted primarily of exposed wood and concrete. The design team’s thoughtful selection of materials, which feature a light grey brick to complement the light concrete tones of surrounding buildings, was integral to the project successfully fitting its high desert context. Other elements earning recognition from the award jury included masonry transitions from exterior to interior, horizontal-to-vertical joint juxtaposition and pattern, daylight shadowing and night lighting.
In addition to the interplay of color and texture provided by the balance of wood, masonry, and concrete, the brick’s high thermal mass also contributes to improved building efficiency. The COCC Health Careers Center was certified EA Gold as a pilot project for the Earth Advantage Commercial program, which is similar to the LEED certification program, upon completion. The Health Careers Center joins the Jungers Culinary Center and Science Building as COCC facilities designed by YGH that have received awards for design.

Demand for health services education has increased substantially in recent years, and the school’s health careers programs have roughly doubled in size to keep pace. This boom eventually necessitated the construction of the modern Health Careers Center to consolidate health-related programs. Today, the facility, which was completed in 2012, includes state-of-the-art simulation labs and classrooms, helping future health care professionals train for real world challenges.

As the three-story facility regularly hosts events such as massage therapy and dental clinics, the building is also welcoming and easy to navigate, keeping the majority of visitor-trafficked areas on the ground floor. Meanwhile, the second floor contains multiple seminar spaces and faculty offices, while the nursing program comprises most of the top floor.

The Health Careers Center also serves as a helpful physical link between the upper and lower campus. The steel-frame structure features a compact footprint, and an elevator and walkway have helped expand wheel chair and ADA accessibility. Previously students requiring ADA accommodations could only reach the steep upper campus area via an organized shuttle service.

The 45,000-square-foot project was completed in association with Pinnacle Architecture, based in Bend. HSW Builders, also of Bend, served as the project’s lead contractor.